Bob Stewart - where is he now?

Subject: RE: Bob Stewart - where is he now?
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 19 Aug 16 - 06:30 AM

Melissa, is Bob still playing his psaltery? I'm not sure he'd remember me, but I got to know him at Sidmouth and other folkie venues many years ago, and we had a friend in common who I think was the initial link. I played harp on the Joseph Andrews soundtrack plus assorted other things, but we eventually lost touch, in that time-and-tides way that life drifts us along. I've lately expanded my historic brass-strung harp repertoire - mainly Irish & Scottish - and it keeps reminding me of the magical sound of Bob's psaltery. (I did a gig in a museum in California with another psaltery player some years back, and thought of him then too.) I hope he's still playing his music, whether onstage or off.

Subject: RE: Bob Stewart - where is he now?
From: Anglo
Date: 19 Aug 16 - 12:16 PM

This is the same RJ Stewart who was a developer and producer of Xena: Warrior Princess, right? That doesn't seem to be mentioned in this thread. I met him at a festival in 71 or so. Lovely guy, very friendly. I bought Up Like The Swallow off him; I've still got it. I hope he continues to do well, whatever field he's in.

Subject: RE: Bob Stewart - where is he now?
From: GUEST,Stuart
Date: 24 Sep 16 - 08:14 PM

Anglo - no not the same RJ Stewart at all!

Subject: RE: Bob Stewart - where is he now?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Oct 16 - 08:18 PM

Yes, he still plays the Psaltery. One year he was not allowed to take it on the plane,so he borrowed a guitar.He was clearly not very happy!

Subject: RE: Bob Stewart - where is he now?
From: Anglo
Date: 07 Oct 16 - 04:00 PM

Thank you for the correction, Guest Stuart. I should be more thorough with my research.

Subject: RE: Bob Stewart - where is he now?
From: CupOfTea
Date: 07 Oct 16 - 10:46 PM

Thank you so much for the revival of this thread. I don't know Mr. Stewart, and that first link went WAY weird - I didn't even know the name of the alphabet it turned up!

but. "Psaltery" caught my eye. I play a bowed one. I also play autoharp. I know that there is quite a bit of overlap in what is called a psaltery, or perhaps a zither, and the read the reference to a harpeleik, which I'd never heard of. One Google and several YouTube links later, I saw a great variety of zither/psaltery/stringed things.

Best of all were some videos showing an instrument being played that matched the arrangement of strings and chords that I'd been searching for during the last year. Nobody seemed to know what I was talking about when I showed them the picture friends had taken of this thing on a trip to France. The musicians had taken a break, and weren't there to ask. It seems it's called a chord zither & the one I found was made in France:
A composition by Donal Lunny, played on the chord zither

I knew it couldn't be a one of a kind thing - the brand name "Jerusalem" on it too obviously a logo.

It never ceases to amaze me what cool stuff I find out on Mudcat, even on threads I had no earthy reason of clicking on in the first place! Thanks again.. but I wonder what configuration of strings and ways to pluck them does Mr Stewart play?

Joanne in Cleveland

Subject: RE: Bob Stewart - where is he now?
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Dec 16 - 02:54 PM

Bonnie, sorry for the extreme delay in my reply, but I was in a serious accident and not checking the internet for awhile.Yes, Bob is still playing the psaltery. When he lived in California he gave concerts every so often, and used it in his workshops.About 12 years ago, he showed up at a conference with a guitar and flute, no psaltery. The guitar was borrowed. It seems that they they refused to let him bring the psaltery on the plane for "security" reasons.

Subject: RE: Bob Stewart - where is he now?
From: GUEST,Andrew Young
Date: 04 Apr 17 - 06:28 AM

Love his version of Long Lankin from the raggle taggle gypsy o album, also just bought a signed copy of up like a swallow, whose how come that blood is really nice, still finding great condition Folk albums that I had no knowledge of at the time they were released, this being a recent discovery, he plays very well and is an acquired taste that I have acquired, no truck with new age stuff though.

Subject: RE: Bob Stewart - where is he now?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 04 Apr 17 - 06:56 AM

Smaller versions of that chord zither are common; you'll find one on EBay pretty much very day.

The problem with them is that they usually crack - they aren't built heavily enough for the string tension. I wouldn't give that one of Lunny's long to live - it has twice the usual number of strings.

Subject: RE: Bob Stewart - where is he now?
From: doc.tom
Date: 04 Apr 17 - 10:17 AM

Hmmm! What Bob played (plays?) was not a chord zither. It was what he called a Harpeleik and they don't come up on e-bay very often. Still being made by Hopf - I had a new set of strings for mine from them a few years back.